Living the Olympic dream

Whitney Ashley is a track and field athlete living at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.

Howard Lipin

Whitney Ashley is a track and field athlete living at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.

Whitney Ashley is a track and field athlete living at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. (Howard Lipin)

Story Nina Garin, photo howard lipin • U-T

The Sochi Winter Olympics are just about two weeks away, but it’s never too early to begin thinking about the next Summer Olympics, scheduled for 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Whitney Ashley, 24, is a professional track and field athlete in women’s discus throw and shot put. She moved to San Diego from Riverside County in 2009 to attend San Diego State University on an athletics scholarship.

Now she lives at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Chula Vista and hopes to make Team USA in 2016.

Q: What exactly is the discus throw?

A: The discus is a metal plate-looking object that holds a weight of one kilogram (2.2 pounds). The idea is to spin around one and a half times through an 8-foot circle to build momentum and then the discus is released. The winner is the one who has thrown the furthest.

Q: What was your first exposure to the discus and shot put?

A: I began as a shot-putter at the age of 10. The coach who got me started moved away, so my mother studied the event and coached me until I got to college. I learned the discus event in college after my college coach saw that my body frame best suited the ideal build of a discus thrower; he was right.

Q: Why were you interested in these sports?

A: My family has an athletic background. Both my mother and father played basketball, and as soon as I could walk I was sitting at all sorts of sporting events. I love the competitive nature that comes along with it and the electric atmosphere that the fans create.

Q: When did you first realize you were a good athlete?

A: My senior season at SDSU I won a Division I NCAA national title in the discus, and the distance I threw that day qualified me for the 2012 Olympic Trials. It was a huge deal for my school, but most importantly for me. I realized I had so much untapped talent and I became more motivated than ever to keep getting better.

Q: Is there a lot of competition out there?

A: There is tough competition in the discus and shot put. Everyone throws just as far as you do; the key to who comes out on top is the one who can keep it together under pressure.

Q: What is a common misconception about being an athlete?

A: That we all live lavishly. In reality most track and field athletes compete for free, as sponsorship is few (and far) between. Many do it because they love the sport, but they work two to three jobs just to get by off the track. I am also unsponsored.

Q: How does one qualify to live at the Olympic Training Center?

A: I qualified to live at the OTC by meeting a metric standard, which is set by (the) United States Olympic Committee. Athletes who qualify for the residential program must also show promise of making an Olympic team and show promise to medal.

Q: What is it like to live there?

A: I feel like I’m in a Utopia. The OTC sits in the crest of a mountain that is surrounded by the Lower Otay Lake. It is the ideal living and training setup. We have access to a top-of-the-line cafeteria where they cook breakfast, lunch and dinner. We also have a laundry room on-site and housekeeping. The staff and coaches are phenomenal and everyone is on the same page. Everything is in proximity: the track, weight room, dorms and sports medicine. I spend most of my time with the other residential athletes outside of training. We watch movies, play pool and attend local athletic events. Everyone is big on birthdays so when it is someone’s birthday we head downtown and enjoy the San Diego night life.

Q: What’s been the biggest competition of your career?

A: The 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Russia, is my biggest competition to date. It was my first time traveling internationally and competing with women I have looked up to for so long. My goal for 2016 is to make the USA Olympic team and win a medal.

Q: Besides sports, what are your other passions?

A: I love to write. It’s the only way I know how to express myself and clear my mind. It is invigorating, and my mind is most at peace with a pen and paper.

Q: Will you be watching the Winter Olympics?

A: I will. Although I cannot relate to winter sports I understand the desire to win an Olympic medal. It is indeed inspiring and motivating to watch others live their dream as well.

Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: Friday, go see a movie or go bowling at Eastlake Tavern + Bowl in Chula Vista and get ice cream afterward. Saturday morning, eat breakfast at World Famous by the beach and then spend the day pampering myself with a pedicure, get my eyebrows shaped and then go shopping.